PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Drexel Dragons used a dominant first half to remain undefeated, defeating the Penn Quakers 72-55 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Drexel improved to 3-0 on the young season, while Penn fell to 2-1.

The game was decided in the opening quarters, as the Dragons erupted for 27 points in the first and added 17 more in the second. The Quakers, by contrast, were held to a single point in the second period, entering halftime with a daunting 44-14 deficit. Penn mounted a challenge after the break, outscoring Drexel 41-28 in the second half, but the first-half gap proved insurmountable.

Amaris Baker, a hometown player from Philadelphia, led all scorers with 18 points for Drexel. Molly Lavin of London, England, recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 21 minutes of play. Grace O’Neill from West Chester, Pennsylvania, orchestrated the offense with 6 assists to go with 8 points. Laine McGurk, also from West Chester, contributed 12 points.

For Penn, Mataya Gayle of Woodstock, Georgia, was a bright spot, scoring 13 points and dishing out 7 assists. Tina Njike nearly notched a double-double with 9 points and 11 rebounds, while Katie Collins from Manasquan, New Jersey, pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds to go with 5 points. Saniah Caldwell of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, provided a spark off the bench with 9 points in the second half.

The Dragons set the tone from the opening tip, racing out to a 27-13 lead after the first quarter. The offensive onslaught continued in the second period as the Quakers’ offense went ice-cold, managing only a single free throw. Drexel’s lead ballooned to 30 points at the break.

Penn showed resilience after halftime, scoring 18 points in the third quarter and a game-high 23 in the fourth. A late flurry of three-pointers from Caldwell and Gayle brought the Quakers within 15 points, but they could get no closer as time expired.

An announced crowd of 808 was in attendance for the Philadelphia rivalry game.

Penn will look to rebound on the road Saturday against Hofstra. Drexel, riding a three-game winning streak, returns to action at home Sunday against Loyola Maryland.